What you'll find in this article
- About the new builder
- New features
- Creating a Multi-action automation in the new builder
- Accounting for automations and events
- Page ‘My Automations (new)’
- Editing an automation in the new builder
- Connected accounts
- Data protection
About the new builder
The new builder is a completely new way to create automations, from the interface to the "skeleton". With it, you can:
⭐ Create automations your way, with the freedom to choose which triggers will initiate your automations, and also which actions will be performed - according to your needs
⭐ Build more complete task flows through Pluga’s Multi-action - connecting various apps you use (and love) into a single automation (even using the same app at different stages of a single automation);
⭐ Count on automatic saving when creating your automations or save them as a draft, in case you need a break for adjustments before activating them;
⭐ Follow and select each step of your automation on a sidebar that is very visual and intuitive.
New features
There are two main features:
How it was before
Until now, you could only create automations through our card templates, each already scoped with the source app, the destination app, the trigger, and the action. Simple, quick, but with limited flexibility.
How it is now
We continue with the old way of creating automations, but now you have a much more flexible alternative, as the new builder allows step-by-step creation.
Each step has a choice: the source app and trigger; the destination app and action, the accounts to be connected, the filters and adjustments, as well as the field mapping of information. This allows an almost infinite combination possibilities!!! 🤯
Now, for example, you can create automations where the source and destination are the same app! That is, you can create automations to generate actions within an app from a trigger fired by the same app.
This also allows you to create automations where the Pluga Webhooks is both the source and the destination of data! Thus, you can create flows where the source and destination app are not yet integrated here natively, but allow integration via webhook.
Take it easy, if you don't know what Pluga Webhooks is yet, you can take a look at this article: Pluga Webhooks: How to create automations with tools not integrated at Pluga
Now you can let your imagination flow and think about completely disruptive flows, that even we couldn't imagine!
How it was before
Until then, it was only possible to create automations from one app to another, in a simple flow (from A to B), which was chosen through card templates, as shown in the example above. We called this type of automation single action.
How it is now
The very name of the new functionality already refers to its central idea. Multi-action, that is: multiple actions [with multiple apps] in a single flow (app A to B, C, D, etc).
Here your imagination is your limit! Imagine creating an automation like the one below, which uses 4 different apps, crosses information between them, and generates a super personalized message for a customer and for the team. It's elevating your productivity to another level!
There are also other small features in different environments of the product, due to the need to make some adjustments.
Creating a Multi-action Automation in the New Builder
At the top of each page there is a header with the blue button + Create Automation. Click it and select the option Create Your Way (new).
Then follow the steps:
- Name your automation;
- Select the source app and trigger;
- Define the account to be connected;
- If there is any filter/adjustment, select it;
- Choose the destination app and the action;
- Define the account to be connected;
- If there is any filter/adjustment, select it;
- Perform the field mapping of fields and attributes;
- Finish the automation or connect another app;
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- If you finish, your flow will be ready and you will be directed to the screen My Automations (new);
- If you click on another app, your automation will turn into Multi-action, moving to the next step;
- Go back to step 5 and repeat the process as many times as necessary for your flow.
During the creation/editing of the automation, while it is not finalized, you can modify by editing:
- Steps (add, remove, and move)
- Apps and connected accounts
- Triggers and actions
- Filters and adjustments
- Field mapping
🎉 More news on the way!! From the moment you choose the source app and trigger, every time you advance a step in the flow, it will be automatically saved as a draft on the page of My Automations (new).
So, don't worry about having to save your automation to not lose your progress.
Accounting for Automations and Events
Automation Usage
Each automation, whether multi-action or not, continues to count as one automation. That is, if you have 2 automations with a different number of stages, each counts as just 1 automation:
➝ 1 automation with 3 stages (App A ➝ App B ➝ C ➝ D).
They still count as 2 automations.
Event Usage
However, the number of events varies depending on the complexity of a flow. This means that each flow can generate from one to “n” events, depending on the size.
Ex: In a simple flow, of 2 stages, information is automatically sent from one app to another. This means that one event was triggered. In a complex flow, with 4 stages, for example, for each stage there is an automatic trigger of information, meaning 3 events (1 trigger and 3 actions).
Page ‘My Automations (new)’
To accommodate the new builder with these features, it was necessary to recreate the page My Automations, so you can manage everything created in the new builder. So, for now, we still have two different areas for automations of the legacy builder and the new one.
To access, just click on the menu and you will see the novelty: the page My Automations (new).
This page is very similar to the previous version, but it is intended exclusively for automations created in the new builder.
This means that automations made in the legacy model continue on the page "My Automations (legacy)".
As mentioned previously, we needed to create some small features to develop and adapt the product. So, some novelties arise on this new page. Among them are:
- Draft Status
- New Automation History (Log)
- New editing of automations
Draft Status
Every time an automation is started in the new builder, has a name and the first app selected, it automatically becomes a draft. It will leave this status from the moment it is activated, when you click on "Finalize Automation". The same occurs when you decide to edit an existing automation.
Remember that upon finalizing, the automation will be activated.
This allows you to start building a flow, interrupt it, and then return to develop it. Once activated, the automation ceases to be a draft and starts processing new events. You can find it in the Home folder, and if you wish, you can move it to another folder.
New Automation History (Log)
What does this mean? With Multi-action, it would be unsustainable (and at least strange 🤔) to view in this section event by event, given that some flows can be very complex having many stages.
So we simplified the display to group the events of an automation into one line.
In the example above, we have 4 events being processed in each execution of the automation. This means that what will be apparent on the history screen is just that execution, informing:
- The steps
- The status
- The number of events
- The date/time of processing
- When there is a failure, the Details and Resend buttons
Failure in event groups
The logic of correcting events in the new builder is similar to that of the old. But, naturally, you will see more stages in each event detail.
🔎 When you click on the View Details button, a window will open indicating the step that had a failure and the failure message for you to take action from it.
Scrolling down, you can view all the information sent in that step and the fields will be open for editing. With that, if necessary, you can correct the information sent so that the event can be resent. After making the necessary corrections, just click on "Save and Resend":
↪️ When editing the automation, return to the history, find the group of events with failure and click on Resend.
⚠️ If there is a failure in an event related to a stage that is in the middle of a flow with several others, the events prior to it will execute, but the others following it (including it) will not.
When you correct and resend the events, they will start from that point onward. This ensures the non-duplication of previous events.
Editing an Automation in the New Builder
Draft Automations
Once created and named, the new automation in the new builder is automatically saved as a draft. This means that if you want to stop creating the automation and leave it for another time, that will be possible.
Just access this folder, click on edit and voila! You will return to the builder viewing the automation as you left it.
Remembering what you can edit (while the automation is still a draft):
- Steps (add, remove, and move)
- Apps and connected accounts
- Triggers and actions
- Filters and adjustments
- Field mapping
Activated Automations
What {not} can be edited:
❌ Add steps
❌ Remove steps
❌ Move steps
❌ Change apps and connected accounts
❌ Change triggers and actions
Connected Accounts
Every time you go to create an automation in the new builder and connect an account from an app, it will be available along with the connected accounts from the previous version, on the page Connected Accounts.
Data Protection
The data transaction policy in the new builder is aligned with the previous version of the product. This means that Pluga also applies the same premises of LGPD in this case. 🔒
Just like in the old builder, you continue to have control of your data and can export them whenever you wish, following the same flow:
Menu > My Account > Advanced > Export My Data
A window will open just like in the previous version, indicating that you will receive an email (to the email registered at Pluga) with the link to download:
Questions?
If you still have questions, just request support and our support team will contact you within a few hours ;)